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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28357551">How Did We End Up Here?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyObsessed223/pseuds/OverlyObsessed223'>OverlyObsessed223</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>umbrella academy one-shots where people give a damn about klaus [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s01e07 The Day That Was, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Number Five | The Boy, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Injury, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Light Angst, Missing Scene, Protective Number Five | The Boy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:47:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,833</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28357551</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyObsessed223/pseuds/OverlyObsessed223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“What the hell is that?” Five demands to know, pushing his upper body up and this time ignoring the screaming pain that’s coming with it. If he isn’t mistaken, he’s pretty sure the bruise is in the shape of a very big hand. He motions for Klaus to come closer, and fixes his brother a warning glare when he hesitates to do so. </p><p>“What is what?” Klaus seems genuinely confused as he complies with Five’s order and shuffles over to the side of the bed. Five reaches up and grabs Klaus’ shoulder before yanking it down so that he’s able to study Klaus’ neck better. </p><p>“The giant hand-shaped bruise on your throat, moron."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Number Five | The Boy &amp; Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>umbrella academy one-shots where people give a damn about klaus [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>831</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How Did We End Up Here?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey! Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted. I decided to take a break from the usual writing and posting grind this month, just because I was a bit burned out, and in that time I've been working on some bigger projects that I'm excited to share with you guys. I've got some pretty fun stuff in the works, so be sure to keep an eye out come the new year. </p><p>Anyways, I'm closing out the year of 2020 with this small one-shot to add to the series. I hope y'all like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Five snaps awake in a cold sweat, he’s in his bed—which he does not remember getting into in the first place—and the room is dark, save for the faint glow of a small lamp on his nightstand. The first thought that crosses his mind is that he should <em> not </em> be in bed asleep when the goddamn apocalypse is right around the corner, but when he tries to sit up pain shoots through his torso, leaving him lying there with his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth gritted together. Once it wears off, he reopens his eyes and twists his head on the pillow, realizing he’s hooked up to an IV. </p><p>Right, he got shot. </p><p><em> Shit </em>—he does not have time for an inconvenience like this. </p><p>But it looks like he’s not going to be going anywhere anytime soon, so he settles for straightening his head and glaring heatedly at the ceiling. </p><p>He can’t lie—he’s a bit peeved that not a single one of his siblings is anywhere to be found. Sure, there’s a possibility at least some of them are out there working on the mystery that is the cause of Earth’s impending doom, but he severely doubts it. As much as Five loves his siblings, they tend to have the attention span of goldfish and are easily susceptible to getting swept up in their own personal issues. These past few days, getting them to work as a team has been akin to herding cats, an uphill battle that Five now isn’t too sure he’s going to be able to win. </p><p>Not that he’s going to win <em> any </em> battles while lying here, unable to do anything at all. <em> Damn </em>the Handler and her surprisingly accurate shot. Five balls his hands tightly into fists, gritting his teeth as he imagines her smug smirk in his mind. He briefly wonders if there’s smoke currently steaming out of his ears because he’s sure as hell angry enough for that to happen. </p><p>Five is perfectly content to spend the rest of the night fuming about his predicament, but he’s soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps slowly coming up the stairs near his bedroom. </p><p>He would assume the footsteps belong to Grace, but he quickly remembers that Grace always wears heels that make a distinct sound when she walks the hallways of this mansion. It could be Luther’s, but Luther’s footsteps are a lot louder and heavier than the ones climbing the stairs. He finally settles on a down in the dumps Diego—yes, that must be who it is. </p><p>He’s immediately proved wrong when he hears the sound of Klaus mumbling. </p><p>“I already told you <em> everything </em>,” Klaus’ voice says tiredly as he reaches the top of the stairs. “Can we just drop the subject?”</p><p>If it weren’t for the fact that Five can only hear one set of footsteps, he would absolutely assume that Klaus has brought someone back to the house with him. </p><p>Instead, there’s a three-second pause before Klaus speaks again.</p><p>“But it isn’t important!” Klaus’ voice exclaims. Five can see the outline of Klaus’ shadow through his doorway, and sure enough, he’s the only one out there. “Leave it alone, okay? Just be glad that I did what you wanted tonight.”</p><p>Another pause. </p><p>“Shit, I—I didn’t,” Klaus quickly backtracks, stumbling over his words. He takes a deep breath before starting over. “Look, I’m glad I went. I’m just pissed that I had to talk to <em> him </em>instead of Dave. You know?”</p><p>It’s always been difficult for Five to wrap his head around Klaus’ powers. Truthfully, the concept of the dead sticking around has always creeped him out a bit, though not as much as it always seemed to bother the others. Well, that is, save for Ben—Ben was more curious than anything, probably because of the nature of his own powers. </p><p>But the most logical explanation for Klaus talking to thin air is that it’s a ghost he’s talking to. </p><p>Hold on, though—Klaus can’t commune with the dead when he’s high, and it’s even harder for Five to wrap his head around the idea that Klaus might actually be sober for once. In fact, Vanya’s book did say that Klaus has always tended to talk to thin air. Maybe, just maybe, Klaus was right in saying that Lance had no idea how crazy he is. Perhaps Klaus’ head is screwy from all of the drugs, or maybe he really has just sought attention from wherever he could all this time. </p><p>Either way, nothing takes away from how distressed Klaus sounds right now. </p><p>“Yeah well, you were right. Luther was <em> not </em>ready for that part of the world. Yes, I just said you were right, don’t let it go to your head. I’m never gonna say it again.”</p><p>The footsteps resume, getting closer to Five’s door. Five watches as Klaus’ figure passes by his room, and then the footsteps abruptly stop before backtracking. A surprised Klaus pops into Five’s doorway, his eyes settling on Five in bed. </p><p>The first thing Five notices about Klaus is that his brother looks horrible. The skin on his face and arms glisten with sweat in the low lamplight, but his arms are wrapped around his torso as he’s wracked with shivers. His shoulders are slumped in on his body as if there’s something physically weighing heavily on them, and the frown etched into the lines of his face indicates that it’s been there for a while now. </p><p>What startles Five the most, though, is Klaus’ eyes. No longer are his brother’s hazel eyes twinkling with amused affection—instead, they look haunted, and not by the ghosts who may or may not be in the room. In all, Klaus is exhibiting a sense of seriousness that looks almost unnatural on him. Klaus is supposed to be the easy-going sibling, the one who may not be the most useful but is always eager to help and do what he can. Though Klaus is nearing thirty years old, he’s always seemed to look at his life through a childlike lens—that is, until a few days ago. </p><p>The time travel must have done something to him, Five realizes. Something must have happened during those ten months he was gone. Perhaps, he muses, he should have been a bit more empathetic towards Klaus when he discovered he'd destroyed the briefcase. </p><p>“Shit,” Klaus breathes, gripping the edge of the doorway with one of his hands. His skin is pale like the blood has been drained right out of his body. “You okay, little buddy?”</p><p>“Don’t call me little,” Five growls, narrowing his eyes in warning. “And if I was okay, do you <em> really </em> think I’d be lying in bed at a time like this?”</p><p>Klaus’ eyes widen in slight realization. </p><p>“Obviously not,” Five continues, turning his head to look up at the ceiling once more. “My former employer put a bullet in my stomach. Good thing I blew her up to smithereens.”</p><p>Klaus doesn’t respond to that at first, and Five glances over at him to see Klaus’ eyes trained on the wall. </p><p>And suddenly, Five decides he’s tired of guessing. </p><p>“Who were you talking to?” Five questions. Actually, it comes out more as a demand, but Five doesn’t see a need to address that. </p><p>Klaus seems genuinely surprised by the question, and Five gets the sense that not many people ask it. Maybe everyone in Klaus’ life has been able to come to the direct conclusion that he’s simply crazy. Five, though, actively avoids jumping to conclusions, because there’s always more to it than meets the eye—especially when it comes to Klaus. </p><p>“Um, I—no one,” Klaus says, but he keeps glancing over at that same spot on the wall. In response, Five simply arches his brow and pointedly follows Klaus’ line of sight. Five isn’t dumb, and frankly, he’s almost insulted Klaus even thought he would believe such obvious bullshit. As if coming to this conclusion on his own, Klaus deflates with a sigh. “Just… a ghost. There’s a lot of them here, so you know. There’s always someone around to chat with.”</p><p>If Klaus is communing with the dead, then that must mean—</p><p>“You’re sober?” Five asks, and his eyebrows shoot up in complete surprise when Klaus nods his head yes. He never thought he’d see the day when Klaus voluntarily got sober, but now that he has, Klaus’ condition makes a lot more sense—he’s probably going through withdrawal. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, crazy, right?” Klaus chuckles, letting go of the edge of the doorway and stepping further into Five’s room. “I mean, I’ve only been clean for like, a day, but it’s the longest I’ve been sober since—well, since a long time ago.”</p><p>Five hadn’t been expecting this out of all things, but it’s a welcome change to the timeline.</p><p>“That’s great, Klaus,” Five says as earnestly as possible. He opens his mouth to ask something along the lines of what prompted Klaus’ newfound sobriety, but he freezes abruptly once he’s able to see Klaus in a better light. On his brother’s throat is a huge purple colored bruise, faint but ultimately still visible. </p><p>“Uh, Five—?”</p><p>“What the hell is that?” Five demands to know, pushing his upper body up and this time ignoring the screaming pain that’s coming with it. If he isn’t mistaken, he’s pretty sure the bruise is in the shape of a very big hand. He motions for Klaus to come closer, and fixes his brother a warning glare when he hesitates to do so. </p><p>“What is what?” Klaus seems genuinely confused as he complies with Five’s order and shuffles over to the side of the bed. Five reaches up and grabs Klaus’ shoulder before yanking it down so that he’s able to study Klaus’ neck better. </p><p>“The giant hand-shaped bruise on your throat, moron,” Five lets go of Klaus after he’s done looking, and settles his gaze on his now fidgeting little brother’s face. “Who the hell did that? I need a name, Klaus.”</p><p>But, as it turns out, Five doesn’t need a name, because there’s only one enemy he knows whose hands are big enough to match that bruise.</p><p>“I—it’s not—there’s nothing—”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me you ran into Hazel?” Five narrows his eyes—seriously, that should have been the first thing to come out of Klaus’ mouth upon entering Five’s room. Why do all of his living siblings—except for Vanya, most of the time—have to be so dense? It’s like pulling teeth trying to get his siblings to prioritize the most important things. </p><p>“No, no, it was just—” Klaus scrambles to explain, his eyes wide as dinner plates as he cowers under Five’s intense glare. “It was some big guy at the rave I was at tonight. Trust me, this kind of thing is normal in my corner of the universe.”</p><p>“I thought you said you’re sober?” Frustration is beginning to build—why can’t his brother tell the damned truth for once in his life? (A fraction of Five wants to be pissed that Klaus found time to go to a rave while he’s busy trying to save the entire world from utter destruction, but there are more pressing issues to be addressed first.)</p><p>“I am!” Klaus insists, his voice sounding so earnest that Five is inclined to believe him—but something still isn’t quite adding up. </p><p>“Then why the hell were you at a rave tonight?”</p><p>Klaus freezes. He opens his mouth to respond, but seems to hesitate, snapping it shut. His eyes wander over to that same spot where his ghost companion must still be standing. </p><p>The haunted look on Klaus’ face has only intensified during this conversation, and it’s enough to make Five back off just a little. </p><p>“Klaus,” Five says, this time with less heat, and Klaus’ eyes snap back over to Five. </p><p>“I’m sober,” Klaus says tiredly. “Really, I am.”</p><p>As Five studies Klaus closer, it becomes clear that his brother is, in fact, telling the truth. Klaus’ eyes seem to be clouded over, but Five knows what he looks like intoxicated, and so drugs are not what’s threatening to shove Klaus back into his mind. Still, that only raises more questions. </p><p>“Okay,” Five nods slowly, “so why—”</p><p>“Look, I was at the rave because an old friend needed me to look for someone,” Klaus cuts him off, tightening his grip around his middle. “I found them, but I ended up getting into a tussle. Paid the price for it, but everything worked out in the end.”</p><p>Five grinds his teeth together, taking a sharp breath through his nose as he attempts to quell his growing anger. “<em> Who?” </em></p><p>Klaus hesitates for another moment, shifting on his feet nervously. </p><p>“Klaus,” Five says in a low voice after Klaus doesn’t answer the very simple question, “why are you refusing to give me a name?”</p><p>Whatever Klaus is hiding, it’s <em> bad, </em> and Five needs to know <em> right this second.  </em></p><p>“Because it doesn’t matter,” Klaus finally says, but he quickly amends this once he realizes Five is certainly <em> not </em>happy with his answer. “It doesn’t matter right now, right? I mean, we have shit to do, and if I told you it would just distract you, I think.”</p><p>And as much as Five hates to admit it, Klaus <em> might </em> have a point. Already, he’s found his mind wandering from the apocalypse. Again, this wouldn’t even be an issue if the Handler hadn’t fucking shot him.</p><p>So just this once, Five thinks he’s willing to back down.</p><p>“Fine,” Five grits out. He doesn’t miss the way Klaus’ face goes slack with relief. “But when this is all over, you’re telling me everything—and I mean <em> everything. </em>Leave a single detail out and I’ll make sure you regret it, got that?”</p><p>Klaus’ eyes widen with fear, and Five isn’t sure if the fear is a result of Five’s threat or just the mere thought of telling Five everything. </p><p>“Um, okay,” Klaus agrees, though he doesn’t seem too happy about it. </p><p>Something tells Five that Klaus would rather the entire world end so he doesn’t have to tell his tale and that in itself means Five has to succeed at saving the world so he can get to the bottom of this—whatever <em> this </em>even is. </p><p>“And Klaus,” Five adds, “That would include your trip back in time.”</p><p>Klaus nods, and his hand reaches up to grab onto the dog tags that are hanging from his neck. They hold some kind of significance to him, and Five adds it to the list of things to interrogate his brother about. </p><p>“Why is this such a big deal to you?” Klaus asks suddenly, and Five can’t help but be taken aback by the question. </p><p>“Because,” Five says, having to grit his teeth once more as he has to practically cough his next words out. “I care about you and want the best for you. How is that not clear?”</p><p>Klaus shrugs and glances down at the dog tags in his pale, shaking hands. </p><p>“I just didn’t think you liked me,” he admits, his eyes purposely avoiding eye contact with Five.</p><p>“I went through hell and back to save your ass,” Five rolls his eyes, astounded by Klaus' inability to see things for what they really are. “Of <em> course </em>I like you. Jesus Christ, Klaus. Give me some credit, won’t you?”</p><p>Klaus finally looks up and gives him a tight smile. “Yeah, okay, sorry, I should’ve known by the general way you’ve acted towards all of us the last couple of days. I’ll make sure to a note that when you’re yelling at us and calling us idiotic morons it’s always out of love.”</p><p>“You’d better,” Five says seriously. “Now go get some sleep, idiot. We have a long day tomorrow, starting with finding Harold Jenkins.”</p><p>His eyes are beginning to slip closed as sleep tugs at his body. </p><p>“Will do,” Klaus says. “G’night, buddy.”</p><p>Five’s eyes are now closed, so he listens as Klaus walks out of his room and into the hallway. Once Klaus is outside, he begins to talk to the same ghost yet again, but his mumbling is too quiet for Klaus to make out. Still, he sounds less stressed out than he did mere minutes ago before he popped into Five’s bedroom, so that’s something. </p><p>It’s starting to dawn on Five that maybe his entire take on Klaus is wrong. He’s always considered Klaus to be an open book, one who shares his trials and tribulations with the entire world and isn’t afraid to put himself out there. It’s never occurred to Five that maybe his brother is more secretive than anyone’s ever realized, and those secrets are clearly weighing on his soul. </p><p>Five is determined to figure out what the hell kind of skeletons Klaus has hidden in his closet. </p><p>First, he just has to save the world. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you feel inclined, and I'll catch you guys in the new year! :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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